


We're Not Broken, So Please Come Home

by 51IsFamily (Miraifuturegirl)



Category: Chicago Fire
Genre: Bringing Louie Home, Car Accidents, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Gen, Nightmares, The way I would do it anyways
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-24
Updated: 2017-04-23
Packaged: 2018-10-23 07:05:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10714608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miraifuturegirl/pseuds/51IsFamily
Summary: AU post 5 X 11One phone call changes everything.





	1. Little arms reaching for me, a small voice calls my name.

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: NBC owns Chicago Fire
> 
> So this is just a little bit of a fix it for after 5 X 11 This is how I would bring Louie back home.

She'd made her peace with it, she thought. She would always, _always_ love Louie.

But he had a happy home. Andre had sent pictures. He looked like any normal happy child.

They had been what he needed, her and Matt. Good parents do what is right for their children, even if it breaks their heart.

What she and Matt had, that would have to be enough. Maybe, someday they would have a child.

But at the moment they were in, no. They two were a family.

Coming home at the end of the day? That was enough.

A single phone call changes everything.

"Mrs. Gabriela Dawson? Did you know an Andre Keyes? Mr. Keyes was in a crash, he didn't make it. His son did. We were asked by his parents to contact you and your husband."

She had no clue why they were called.

Only, the truth of her heart, that would still drop _anything_ for Louie.

She had to. Thank god they were off-shift that morning.

It was several hours until they made it to the hospital that had called them.

The drive over is surreal. Matt's hand in hers, quiet car. Nonstop.

Then they got to the hospital, and after a chat with the receptionist in the main lobby, they are directed to the pediatric floor.

Gabby hears him before she sees him. Broken crying going on, and on, _and on._

She opens the door to his room. Andre's mother, Mary is there trying to soothe Louie, albeit tiredly.

Odds are she's been trying for hours. She looks away at the sound of the door.

"Louie, honey. Look who's here," she says, coaxing the boy to look.

Their eyes meet.

Louie's face has several cuts closed with butterfly strips. A few scrapes. But he's whole. Mostly unscathed from the accident.

" _Mommy._ " Louie whispers, his voice nearly gone from crying.


	2. A letter never meant to be read

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To Gabriela and Matt Casey.
> 
> God, I hope you never read this....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: NBC owns Chicago Fire. Just fixing what the writers broke.

Louie's broken whisper bridges the gap and breaks her uncertainty.

She goes to the bed and sits.

With a weary smile, Louie's grandmother gently transfers him to Gabby's arms

Being careful of the IV in his left hand, which has been wrapped with gauze to support it, she folds her arms around him.

He fits, just right. Like before. Like this was always meant to be.

She starts to hum a lullaby, one that she had used many times. She starts stroking a soft line, from the back of his head, all down his back. He relaxes against her, entering the quiet breathing of sleep.

Andre's mother speaks in hushed tones above his head.

"I can't give him a thing he wants, Lord knows I've tried. He's cried more than I bear.

My son, and my grandson. They were just starting to be a real family of their own. And now this.

I need to set things right. With the legal papers Andre had written up for Louie's care in case of the worse, he had a letter for you."

Matt spoke up then.

"I'll watch him. You two talk. I've got him. "

They go and sit in a lounge provided for family members. It would be almost nice if the boy that they love were not here under traumatic circumstances.

Gabby opens the letter.

Louie's broken whisper bridges the gap and breaks her uncertainty.

She goes to the bed and sits.

With a weary smile, Louie's grandmother gently transfers him to Gabby's arms

Being careful of the IV in his left hand, which has been wrapped with gauze to support it, she folds her arms around him.

He fits, just right. Like before. Like this was always meant to be.

She starts to hum a lullaby, one that she had used many times. She starts stroking a soft line, from the back of his head, all down his back. He relaxes against her, entering the quiet breathing of sleep.

Andre's mother speaks in hushed tones above his head.

"I can't give him a thing he wants, Lord knows I've tried. He's cried more than I bear.

My son, and my grandson. They were just starting to be a real family of their own. And now this.

I need to set things right. With the legal papers Andre had written up for Louie's care in case of the worse, he had a letter for you."

Matt spoke up then.

"I'll watch him. You two talk. I've got him. "

They go and sit in a lounge provided for family members. It would be almost nice if the boy that they love were not here under traumatic circumstances.

Gabby opens the letter.

_**To Gabriela and Matt Casey.** _

_**God, I hope you never read this.** _

_**I'm watching Louie sleep as I write this letter. Curled around that monkey you gave him, thumb in his mouth.** _

_**I've asked myself if taking him was right.** _

_**He misses you. Has asked for you. I'm doing the best I can. It won't be perfect, I will make mistakes, but Louie is the best thing that ever happened to me. He comes first.** _

_**I love Louie enough to fight for him against the whole world if I needed to. I saw the same in you two** _

_**If I'm gone, I want you to adopt him. Give him a good home- It's all he's ever needed. I know he'll always be wanted, with you two.** _

_**My sister's kids have medical issues, that house is full of love, but their own needs stretch them thin enough.** _

_**My parents are pushing seventy. They can't keep up with an energetic three-year-old.** _

_**My son deserves the world. He deserves to be cherished. A happy home, with parents that would always do their best for him.** _

_**I know you love Louie as I do. He's the best thing in our lives** _

_**Thank you for my son.** _

_**Andre Keyes** _

_**I'm watching Louie sleep as I write this letter. Curled around that monkey you gave him, thumb in his mouth.** _

_**I've asked myself if taking him was right.** _

_**He misses you. Has asked for you. I'm doing the best I can. It won't be perfect, I will make mistakes, but Louie is the best thing that ever happened to me. He comes first.** _

_**I love Louie enough to fight for him against the whole world if I needed to. I saw the same in you two** _

_**If I'm gone, I want you to adopt him. Give him a good home- It's all he's ever needed. I know he'll always be wanted, with you two.** _

_**My sister's kids have medical issues, that house is full of love, but their own needs stretch them thin enough.** _

_**My parents are pushing seventy. They can't keep up with an energetic three-year-old.** _

_**My son deserves the world. He deserves to be cherished. A happy home, with parents that would always do their best for him.** _

_**I know you love Louie as I do. He's the best thing in our lives** _

_**Thank you for my son.** _

_**Andre Keyes** _


	3. Sifting through the wreckage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ....Gabby steps closer to them, and he hands Louie over.
> 
> She cradles him close as he cries.
> 
> "Mommy. Went way 'gain" he whimpers raggedly
> 
> "Shh, baby. I know. I know. Mommy's sorry. I'm here now. " she hushes him, rocking slightly
> 
> They stay like that for some time, after Gabby sits them back on the bed. Louie pressed into her as if to disappear....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NBC owns Chicago Fire
> 
> Mr. Monks is the name I gave the monkey Herrmann gave them. Y'know, the one Louie scooped up his first night with Gabby?

They are interrupted when Gabby's phone goes off. A text.

Matt. What she reads makes her heart sink.

**Need you. Can't calm Louie down.**

As they draw closer, she hears Louie wailing.

_"Daddy!_ _**Daddy!"** _

If Matt can't calm him…. He doesn't want Matt, she realizes.

He's calling for Andre.

Gabby opens the door.

Matt's trying. But at the moment, he's not who Louie wants. The little boy is in terrified tears again.

As Louie sees her, he strains to get to her so violently, Matt loses his grip for a moment.

He catches him before he falls off.

"Easy, buddy. Mommy's right there." Matt murmurs, gently pulling him back from the edge of the bed

He slips right back where they were two months ago. He knows how to do this like breathing.

Gabby steps closer to them, and he hands Louie over.

She cradles him close as he cries.

"Mommy. Went way 'gain" he whimpers raggedly

"Shh, baby. I know. I know. Mommy's sorry. I'm here now. " she hushes him, rocking slightly

They stay like that for some time, after Gabby sits them back on the bed. Louie pressed into her as if to disappear. He cries himself out sooner and starts to fall asleep again.

Mary hands Matt the letter- she'd picked it up when they'd hurried back to Louie.

"You both need to read that, " she says, setting into the visitor's chair.

"Are you sure about this? " Matt asks after he has time to adjust to the contents of the letter.

"My son deserves to have his wishes honored. Mary said.

"Since the moment he found out Louie existed he tried to do the best he could. I saw how you were with my grandson. I don't think we could do better by Louie. If he can't have his father… "

"He's really ours again?" Gabby says, disbelieving that this was really happening.

"If you want-" Mary started.

"Of course we want him!" Gabby interjected, no doubt in her words.

She looks at Matt.

"Of course, he's wanted. Very much." He says, agreeing with Gabby in a heartbeat

"The papers should all be there… Andre's mother started.

Gabby looked over. Mary's eyes were on Louie, filled with sorrow.

"Mary. I lived through losing Louie once. I won't take him away from those who love him.

When Matt and I adopt him, it doesn't mean you aren't his grandparents. He needs that in his life. Andre was his father and nothing will change that. When he's older, I want him to know how wanted he was."

"Thank you, Gabby."

She knows that Matt must feel helpless after what happened.

So what he says next does not surprise her.

"I looked for Louie's things. Mr. Monks, a blanket, anything. Does he have anything to comfort him here?"

He was looking for something to do. Something he could fix at this moment.

"I know he had his sleeping stuff In the car. But when I saw what had happened to it, I just couldn't stand it. "

"I'll go see if anything survived, " Matt said, standing.

"I'll call our lawyer, get the ball rolling on what needs to happen for Louie to come home. I'll also get some food for us when I'm out."

"Do we know what happened? How they crashed?" She asked, needing to help her boy.

Mary sighed.

"Andre would bring Louie up to our house some weekends. They were going home when the accident happened. Some fool was driving drunk and knocked them off the road. Andre _always_ called me when they make it home. I _knew_ something was wrong _._ It still took hours before they found the car.

I think Louie remembers all of it. And it's hurt him. More than those cuts from the glass, or needing an IV. Some wounds don't leave marks. He pulled out one IV already after he got here. Woke scared, and it hasn't let up yet."

Matt talked to the owner of the salvage yard and was led to the SUV

It is totaled, the driver side is nearly unrecognizable

He could almost see the fire crew around the SUV, using the jaws of life. It was so different when it involved someone you cared for deeply.

 _Louie had been in there._ He could have died as easily as Andre had. On the concrete, he could see a ruined car seat. It had done its job, but could not be used again. It looked like parts had been cut off to get Louie free.

Matt pops the back hatch, inside is Louie's suitcase.

He opens it. Clothing. A few small toys. The blanket he liked to sleep with. No stuffed monkey.

He opens the non-ruined door. Searching under the seats, he finds the monkey. There were a few small rips, nothing that couldn't be fixed.

He got what he came for. It was time to get going.

Matt texts Gabby twice, once while he's picking up food at a café to see what she would like, the other time in the elevator on the way up.

He gets simple food, sandwiches, and chips, things that take very little effort to eat. It's quick and simple and he's back to the two who need him most.

By the time he gets back, Louie has his own tray. Pizza, carrots and ranch, grapes, a carton of milk. Not the most healthy, but at least it's all things he'll eat.

After they finished, Matt smiles and pulls out a small bakery bag.

"Hey, Louie. Look what I have. M&M cookies. "

Gabby smiles herself, reminded of a rainy afternoon before, Louie helping her mix together a batch of cookies and how she ended tossing in m&m's because she had run out of chocolate chips.

Honestly, Gabby's are better. But Matt knows it's one thing he can do on this dark day.

Mr. Monks will help, hopefully. So will the comfort of a blanket Louie likes to sleep with.

It is the small things when the days turn dark.

Everything has changed again, for Louie. But they handled all life had thrown at them before.

 _Louie was coming back home_. _It would be a struggle. That was what life was. Louie was worth it._


	4. Through a past that steals your sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He feels a slight tug on his sleep shirt. Louie has a hold of it. He's just watching silently.
> 
> The three-year-old has fallen into the old habit of his first weeks here. He watches them. Waiting. This time Matt thinks that he's waiting to be left. To lose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: NBC owns Chicago Fire. The lyrics belong to The Goo Goo Dolls.

_**Morning comes, and life moves on** _

_**And when it changed, you didn't know where you belong** _

_**And I'll still catch you when you fall through** **a past that steals your sleep**_

_**And scrawl these words upon your wall, remind you to believe-**_ Goo Goo Dolls, Not Broken

 

" _Mommy!_ "

Matt blinks awake.

It's been two weeks. They are still working on it. Louie's nightmares are constant.

They have a baby monitor in Louie's room. It's one way they are trying to break the habit of him sleeping in their bed. Gabby has also spent non-shift nights on an air mattress in his room.

He sees the light go on in the hall. It's a bad night. Gabby has taken him to the bathroom, odds are he needs a pajama change. On the bad nights, he wakes up soaked to the skin with sweat.

He hears soft hiccups. Gabby, Louie in her arms has appeared in the doorway. Their boy is handed over while Gabby gets onto her side of the bed. It's one of those nights.

She covers the three of them up. The light goes out. Matt is settling down, ready to try to sleep again.

He feels a slight tug on his sleep shirt. Louie has a hold of it. He's just watching silently.

The three-year-old has fallen into the old habit of his first weeks here. He watches them. Waiting. This time Matt thinks that he's waiting to be left. To lose.

Mary Keyes had told him that he had started to call Andre Daddy a few weeks before the car crash.

In Louie's three years, he's never had a real home or real family. He had them but was taken to a new home anyway. Andre had loved him, but fate had taken him too. Louie's sad eyes seemed to ask: are you leaving, too?

"It's okay, Louie. I'm not going anywhere, Mommy's not going anywhere. You have us." He says gently.

He sees Gabby's arm go around Louie.

"It's okay, Baby," she murmurs in agreement, her voice only meant for this moment and the three of them.

"We're right here."


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Instead of a quiet and scared little boy, Louie takes off toward them as soon as he sees them.
> 
> "Mommy! Daddy!"
> 
> Matt gets there first, catches him, and scoops him into his arms.

Little by little, they fall back into their normal. They rebuild what they thought they had lost.

Louie has shift days with Bonnie. They spend every bit of time they have off work with their son.

_A morning after shift. Bonnie drops Louie off, instead of them picking him up._

_Instead of a quiet and scared little boy, Louie takes off toward them as soon as he sees them._

_"Mommy! Daddy!"_

_Matt gets there first, catches him, and scoops him into his arms._

_Bonnie catches up and hands Gabby his backpack._

_"He's gotten so much better," She says, smiling fondly at Louie._

_The last time they had tried, Louie had stayed by Bonnie's van until Gabby and Matt showed up to get him._

_"See you in two days, Louie, " she says, then turns to go_

_Carefully, Matt trades Louie for his backpack, and Gabby has her own morning after shift cuddle with their son._

_A few minutes later, Gabby sets him down, Louie takes a hand from them both and they walk to the car to go home._

+

Saturday. They had nowhere to be. They had planned a picnic and a whole day at the park but woke up to rain.

Louie had been doing so good in sleeping in his own bed, Gabby wanted to reward the little boy.

As she thought of things she could do instead, inspiration hit in the form of a childhood memory.

Breakfast was served. Pancakes, strawberries, bacon. Juice in a sippy cup for Louie and coffee for the grownups.

As they finished, Gabby saw Louie looking at the rain-soaked outside.

"Rain," he says with a sad little sigh. " _Yuck._ "

"Oh, sweetie. I promise. We're still going to have fun today," Gabby promised.

She sent Louie to wash his hands, which were syrup-sticky. Matt went along, three was still too little to trust alone in the bathroom.

She gathered what they would need.

+

"We are going to build a blanket fort," Gabby said exuberantly.

"Your Tío Antonio and I built them all the time when we were kids."

She hands Matt a handful of clothespins.

"First, we have to show Daddy how it's done."

Gabby folds part of a blanket around a chair. She hands Louie a clothespin.

"Put it right here. That's right, good job, baby. "

Matt smiles.

"I think I got it. I'll work on the other side."

The three of them make quick work. Soon, the fort has a roof. Blankets spread over that make walls.

They had bought more air mattresses for camping, and today would be a test run.

Soon the inside was all cozy. Gabby grabbed her laptop.

"Movie time."

"Baymax!" Louie shouted.

He grabbed Mr. Monks and scrabbled into the fort.

Big Hero Six started a Disney movie marathon. Lion King followed, then the first Toy Story.

 

Then lunch.

PB&J for Louie, roast beef and cheddar for Matt, grilled veggie marinade and mozzarella for her.

Chips and dip, apple slices, and ants on a log made a lovely picnic.

After, they settled in for a nap. The house was dim and quiet, the sound of the rainfall soothing them to sleep.

+

After Louie woke up, Gabby took him into the kitchen.

"Let's make some cookies for after dinner tonight."

"Rainbow cookies?" That is what he calls M&M cookies.

"Yep."

She measured the ingredients and had Louie dump them in the bowl. Soon, the first dozen were in the oven.

A homemade frozen pizza joined the rest of the baking cookies.

Dinner was enjoyed, so were the cookies.

Louie is taken for a bath, pizza sauce and chocolate are _everywhere_.

Warm and snug in firetruck printed PJ's, Louie came back to the living room.

"Wanna sleep in the fort, Louie?" Gabby asked, seeing his fixation on it.

"Yes, please."

She had grabbed his favorite story treasury while Matt had helped him into his PJ's

They got settled on the air mattresses, then she started to read…

+

Gabby tucks the baby monitor into a corner of the fort.

She checks to make sure that Louie is covered up enough. His quiet breathing fills the small space.

She slips out, and Matt puts his hand out to help her up.

They go to their own bedroom, getting ready for bed.

As they settled into bed, Gabby shared a thought- It was more like a hope.

"I hope, when he's older, that Louie remembers the fun days like this the most. Not the accident, not before us. Just the days where he was happy and safe. I just want him to always know he's loved."

Matt kisses her gently.

"I hope so too" he agrees softly.

They settle into sleep. A quiet house, a peaceful night. A happy home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hat's where I leave them. I want them back together so badly, but it's out of my hands.
> 
> I can only hope that the writers bring Louie back if only so I can see him safe.
> 
> I can only want this story to be resolved. It was perfect, and Andre did not need to take him. I've seen family and job balanced before on other shows. They could have made it work.
> 
> Question for you all: How would you bring Louie back? Answer in the comments, please.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this because losing Louie broke my heart. He had a family, and it should have been perfect.


End file.
